Endowment Opportunities

Department Donors can create, sustain, and enhance existing programs and new opportunities within the department by providing support for students, faculty, facilities, alumni programs, and other critical needs in the college. Restricted gifts, whether for immediate use or permanent endowment, are for a specific purpose, such as scholarships, faculty development, program support, facility improvement or any purpose included among the department's objectives and in keeping with the mission of the university.

Permanently Endowed Funds, whether for unrestricted use or a specific purpose, provide a keystone of excellence in the ME Department. You may establish a new endowed fund in support of any program in the department by having gift may be tailored to match your interests with those of the department. Your endowed fund becomes part of the department's permanent endowment. It maintains a separate identity as a specific account within the endowment. The goal of the Clemson University Foundation is to invest endowed funds so that they will grow and maintain their purchasing power through all economic cycles. As a matter of Foundation policy, the level of spending from endowed funds strikes a balance between providing spendable income in a given year and preserving the principal and purchasing power of the endowment base for the future. The record of prudent stewardship of funds entrusted to the Foundation ensures that an endowment will be held in perpetuity and employed in keeping with the intentions of the benefactor. Your name will live with the gift forever.

To give you an idea of the types of support possible, please read over the guidelines given below:

Academic Support - Minimum Gift GuidelinesTo build on its position of academic excellence, Clemson must pursue initiatives and forward-looking programs in emerging fields. The enhancement of academic programs propels the University's academic status, attracts the best and brightest young scholars and appeals to the nation's highly recognized educators.

Named University Center or Institute -- $2,500,000 To support the ongoing operation and research of the program.

Named College Center or Institute -- $1,500,000 To support the ongoing operation and research of the program.

Named Department Fund for Excellence -- $250,000 To provide an endowment for continuing support and advancement in excellence.

Named Endowment (Restricted) -- $25,000 To provide a permanent revenue stream to be applied on an annual basis.

Named Memorial Endowment -- $10,000 To permanently memorialize a member of the Clemson family.

Named Endowment in Honor of a Member of the Faculty -- $10,000 To honor an active or a retired member of the Clemson faculty.

Faculty Support - Minimum Gift GuidelinesThe cornerstone of a great university is a great faculty. At Clemson, we expect nothing less than the best faculty—committed, eminent teacher-scholars who contribute to new knowledge through research, acquire knowledge of applications by consulting, and transmit that knowledge through teaching. From nurturing junior faculty to supporting the attraction and retention of senior teacher-scholars, you can help bring prestige to Clemson University. The following are areas in which you can direct a gift to support the faculty at Clemson:

Named Trustees' Chair -- $3,000,000 To fully support the activities of a renowned scholar through an endowment.

Named Distinguished Chair -- $2,000,000 To support a preeminent scholar of international reputation with an endowment sufficient to the aspirations of the program.

Named Chair -- $1,250,000 To provide partial support for an outstanding scholar currently among the faculty at Clemson.

Named Visiting Professorship -- $750,000 To support a scholar who dispenses expertise for a given period of time.

Named Distinguished Professorship -- $500,000 To provide supplemental support for an outstanding faculty member.

Named Teacher or Researcher -- $250,000 To support a faculty member whose teaching accomplishments are profound or who is engaged in specific research of particular importance.

Named Senior Scholar -- $250,000 To support a retired faculty member who returns to campus to teach on a part-time basis.

Named Scholar -- $100,000 To support a member of the faculty in his or her field of teaching or research.

Named Lecture or Seminar Series -- $100,000 To support lectures or special seminars by scholars and public figures.

Named Program Enhancement Fund -- $50,000 To support a particular academic program.

Scholarship and Fellowship Support - Minimum Gift GuidelinesScholarships and fellowships are the door to a Clemson education. Establishing a scholarship or fellowship endowment ensures that the Clemson Experience will be accessible to outstanding and deserving young people for generations. You can give a gift to one of our established 300+ scholarships or learn more about how to create your or your family's own scholarship:

Named Distinguished Fellowship Endowment -- $1,000,000 To establish a full fellowship program to attract the nation's top graduate students.

Named Fellowship Endowment -- $100,000 To provide restricted recruiting support to a graduate student.

Named Endowment for Undergraduate or Graduate Research and Travel -- $50,000 To provide support for undergraduate and graduate student research and travel.

Named Scholarship Endowment -- $25,000 To provide restricted permanent revenue stream in support of an undergraduate student.

Facilities - Minimum Gift GuidelinesWhen a department shows its commitment by providing outstanding infrastructure, modern facilities and superior technology, it sends the message that it wants not only to provide academic spaces, but through the physical environment, nurture each individual so he/she can fulfill his/her potential. Private support is increasingly critical in providing Clemson with the financial resources necessary to create new facilities and maintain older ones. Your gifts do nothing less than enable the University to provide an optimal learning environment.

Named Future Buildings -- 25% of Actual Construction Cost Each new building project must be defined to incorporate an endowment for ongoing maintenance.

Named Laboratories -- $250,000 To provide an endowment for the general support of a laboratory.

Named Lecture Hall -- $50,000 To provide an endowment for the general support of a lecture hall.

Named Classroom -- $50,000 To provide an endowment for the general support of a classroom.